Serie A relegation fight: Lecce & Cremonese battle to stay in top flight

With Verona and Pisa already condemned to Serie B, the fight for the final relegation place in Serie A is coming down to the wire, with Lecce and Cremonese separated by just one point heading into the final two rounds of fixtures.

Lecce currently sit 17th on 32 points in the table, one ahead of Cremonese in 18th on 31, while Cagliari in 16th on 37 points look to have done enough to secure their survival barring a dramatic collapse.

Lecce’s remaining fixtures see them travel to Sassuolo before hosting Genoa on the final day, while Cremonese face an away trip to Udinese before a home clash with Como. Neither side has a straightforward run-in, and the permutations are numerous.

Critically, if the two sides finish level on points after 38 games, the matter will not be settled by goal difference or head-to-head record, a relegation play-off will decide which club drops down to Serie B. It is a scenario both clubs will be desperate to avoid.

Cremonese’s fate looked bleak before Marco Giampaolo’s arrival, but Sunday’s 3-0 win against already-relegated Pisa offered the Grigiorossi a chance to drag themselves level with Lecce and keep their destiny in their own hands.